1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to rocket-propelled grenades.
2. Description of Related Art
Modern urban warfare presents warfighters with many different combat scenarios. For example, it is generally desirable and often more effective to use non-lethal means to control opposing combatants. One technique that is not available to current-day warfighters is to temporarily visually impair opposing combatants or other unruly persons. Attempts have been made to utilize “star shells,” which fire a phosphorus-based flare into the air; however, such shells fail to provide light that is of sufficient intensity to be effective.
In military or police crowd control situations, and particularly in riot or violent confrontations involving large numbers of people, it is often desirable but impractical to identify all participants. Members of such mobs will disperse unless physically restrained and current technology provides no way to easily identify a person at a later time that was involved in the confrontation or riot.
In yet another example, it is often necessary or at least desirable for warfighters to open a breach in a building wall so that the building can be secured. It is often very desirable to open a series of breaches in adjacent building walls so that the warfighters can move from one building to the next, thus avoiding streets and other open areas where they would likely be exposed to lethal weapons fire from adversaries. Conventionally, warfighters use standard-issue explosives, such as C-4 plastic explosives and the like, or anti-tank rockets, such as AT-4 anti-tank rockets and the like, to create the needed breaches. Explosives, however, require special handling, detonators, and techniques for use. Failure to use such explosives properly can result in accidents that are lethal to nearby warfighters. While anti-tank rockets can be effective, such rockets are expensive due to their particular characteristics. Some such rockets can cost many thousands of dollars each and are, therefore, not cost effective for breaching walls.
There are many tools available to the warfighter for dealing with enemy combatants, participants in riots, and the like, as well as for breaching building walls, well known in the art, however, considerable shortcomings remain.
While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.